'17-'18 POY discussion

[bondom34]

This was just a matchup problem. Playoffs aren't always even about talent (though GSW wins there too).

Idk. Without Curry I don’t really see a big matchup advantage GS has. The Warriors haven’t looked great outside that 2nd quarter explosion and they’ve been atrocious here in the third.

The Pels just can’t survive Jrue having a 4/14, five foul night with Davis having a bad game as well.

Not really having a decent starting caliber wing, Rondo not being very good, and the other team having 2 of the best shooters in the NBA seems an issue. Nobody can guard on the perimeter but Jrue.

[dhsilv2]

This was just a matchup problem. Playoffs aren't always even about talent (though GSW wins there too).

Idk. Without Curry I don’t really see a big matchup advantage GS has. The Warriors haven’t looked great outside that 2nd quarter explosion and they’ve been atrocious here in the third.

The Pels just can’t survive Jrue having a 4/14, five foul night with Davis having a bad game as well.

I feel dray being used as the point is a real problem for pel's defense. Plus just a team that moves so much off ball exploits where AD's defense has huge holes and they can easily pull him away from the basket with most of their lineups to take away his shot blocking.

Dunno if this is a major matchup issue. It's also interesting to note that the warriors this year look to be trying to stop AD, in 15 they dared AD to beat them.

[GSP]

But GSW has a lot of other really good players, especially their core (I will grant that their depth isn't as good as 2017). I can't think of a trio of players in the NBA better than the Durant/Klay/Green triumvirate, let alone adding a dynamo like Curry to them.

Simmons/Embiid/Roco is better. Harden/Cp3/Capella might be as well but theyve played with Goat spacing/3pt shooting so its hard to separate that

[Dr Spaceman]

This was just a matchup problem. Playoffs aren't always even about talent (though GSW wins there too).

Idk. Without Curry I don’t really see a big matchup advantage GS has. The Warriors haven’t looked great outside that 2nd quarter explosion and they’ve been atrocious here in the third.

The Pels just can’t survive Jrue having a 4/14, five foul night with Davis having a bad game as well.

Not really having a decent starting caliber wing, Rondo not being very good, and the other team having 2 of the best shooters in the NBA seems an issue. Nobody can guard on the perimeter but Jrue.

Agree with the wing part. That’s just a flaw they can’t deal with. Mirotic guarding Durant is asinine.

I actually thought Rondo was the only good thing NOP had going for them tonight. He was the only Pelican that had a good game IMO. His play led to a little flurry where it looked like NOP could take control before GSW’s shooting busted the game over. I don’t particularly like Rondo, but he does somehow find a way to be quite effective even with his glaring weaknesses.

[NinjaSheppard]

Idk. Without Curry I don’t really see a big matchup advantage GS has. The Warriors haven’t looked great outside that 2nd quarter explosion and they’ve been atrocious here in the third.

The Pels just can’t survive Jrue having a 4/14, five foul night with Davis having a bad game as well.

Not really having a decent starting caliber wing, Rondo not being very good, and the other team having 2 of the best shooters in the NBA seems an issue. Nobody can guard on the perimeter but Jrue.

Agree with the wing part. That’s just a flaw they can’t deal with. Mirotic guarding Durant is asinine.

I actually thought Rondo was the only good thing NOP had going for them tonight. He was the only Pelican that had a good game IMO. His play led to a little flurry where it looked like NOP could take control before GSW’s shooting busted the game over. I don’t particularly like Rondo, but he does somehow find a way to be quite effective even with his glaring weaknesses.

His guy isn't even pretending to guard him and is shading hard towards Davis. That's a real problem when they already have Draymond.

I am not going to overreact because we haven't played in a week but everything that I was worried about in this series is happening. I was really hoping Kerr would go with one of his stupid McGee at center lineups for 10 minutes a game but he is playing all the right guys.

[bondom34]

Idk. Without Curry I don’t really see a big matchup advantage GS has. The Warriors haven’t looked great outside that 2nd quarter explosion and they’ve been atrocious here in the third.

The Pels just can’t survive Jrue having a 4/14, five foul night with Davis having a bad game as well.

Not really having a decent starting caliber wing, Rondo not being very good, and the other team having 2 of the best shooters in the NBA seems an issue. Nobody can guard on the perimeter but Jrue.

Agree with the wing part. That’s just a flaw they can’t deal with. Mirotic guarding Durant is asinine.

I actually thought Rondo was the only good thing NOP had going for them tonight. He was the only Pelican that had a good game IMO. His play led to a little flurry where it looked like NOP could take control before GSW’s shooting busted the game over. I don’t particularly like Rondo, but he does somehow find a way to be quite effective even with his glaring weaknesses.

Yeah I meant Rondo in a more general sense, I've been in and out of this one and missed GSW's big run but Rondo in general isn't as good as his name implies. I think NOLA got a perfect 1st round matchup and is better off with Boogie if they play the Dubs. Utah/Houston I actually think could be interesting.

[GSP]

Not really having a decent starting caliber wing, Rondo not being very good, and the other team having 2 of the best shooters in the NBA seems an issue. Nobody can guard on the perimeter but Jrue.

Agree with the wing part. That’s just a flaw they can’t deal with. Mirotic guarding Durant is asinine.

I actually thought Rondo was the only good thing NOP had going for them tonight. He was the only Pelican that had a good game IMO. His play led to a little flurry where it looked like NOP could take control before GSW’s shooting busted the game over. I don’t particularly like Rondo, but he does somehow find a way to be quite effective even with his glaring weaknesses.

Yeah I meant Rondo in a more general sense, I've been in and out of this one and missed GSW's big run but Rondo in general isn't as good as his name implies. I think NOLA got a perfect 1st round matchup and is better off with Boogie if they play the Dubs. Utah/Houston I actually think could be interesting.

Utah doesnt have a prayer IMO. Didnt they get blown out every game of the Rs?

they prolly have the best defense to go up against them if Thabo was healthy. Offense would be an issue for them tho. But Houston has been playing slooooooooooow after allstar break and Cp3 doesnt look the same.

[bondom34]

Agree with the wing part. That’s just a flaw they can’t deal with. Mirotic guarding Durant is asinine.

I actually thought Rondo was the only good thing NOP had going for them tonight. He was the only Pelican that had a good game IMO. His play led to a little flurry where it looked like NOP could take control before GSW’s shooting busted the game over. I don’t particularly like Rondo, but he does somehow find a way to be quite effective even with his glaring weaknesses.

Yeah I meant Rondo in a more general sense, I've been in and out of this one and missed GSW's big run but Rondo in general isn't as good as his name implies. I think NOLA got a perfect 1st round matchup and is better off with Boogie if they play the Dubs. Utah/Houston I actually think could be interesting.

Utah doesnt have a prayer IMO. Didnt they get blown out every game of the Rs?

they prolly have the best defense to go up against them if Thabo was healthy. Offense would be an issue for them tho. But Houston has been playing slooooooooooow after allstar break and Cp3 doesnt look the same.

They only had Gobert 1 of the 4 pretty sure.

[GSP]

Yeah I meant Rondo in a more general sense, I've been in and out of this one and missed GSW's big run but Rondo in general isn't as good as his name implies. I think NOLA got a perfect 1st round matchup and is better off with Boogie if they play the Dubs. Utah/Houston I actually think could be interesting.

Utah doesnt have a prayer IMO. Didnt they get blown out every game of the Rs?

they prolly have the best defense to go up against them if Thabo was healthy. Offense would be an issue for them tho. But Houston has been playing slooooooooooow after allstar break and Cp3 doesnt look the same.

They only had Gobert 1 of the 4 pretty sure.

Oh did they? If they did you could be right about the series. I forgot he missed a bunch of games

[NinjaSheppard]

Gobert played in 3 of the 4 games. Rockets killed them in all three. The closest game was the one he missed where the Jazz had a 9 point lead in the fourth before losing by 21

[Dr Spaceman]

Not really having a decent starting caliber wing, Rondo not being very good, and the other team having 2 of the best shooters in the NBA seems an issue. Nobody can guard on the perimeter but Jrue.

Agree with the wing part. That’s just a flaw they can’t deal with. Mirotic guarding Durant is asinine.

I actually thought Rondo was the only good thing NOP had going for them tonight. He was the only Pelican that had a good game IMO. His play led to a little flurry where it looked like NOP could take control before GSW’s shooting busted the game over. I don’t particularly like Rondo, but he does somehow find a way to be quite effective even with his glaring weaknesses.

His guy isn't even pretending to guard him and is shading hard towards Davis. That's a real problem when they already have Draymond.

I am not going to overreact because we haven't played in a week but everything that I was worried about in this series is happening. I was really hoping Kerr would go with one of his stupid McGee at center lineups for 10 minutes a game but he is playing all the right guys.

Hmmm. It could be that GSW is just too smart a team for Rondo’s tricks to work.

That said, the Pelicans IMO are still at their best when Rondo is buzzing around the floor fitting passes through crazy windows. In half-court isolations (which for some reason they ran a ton of in this one) he’s a liability but when there’s motion and such leaving him open is just giving him space to carve up the D.

Obviously he’s not a long term solution. There’s a reason his salary is $1 million or whatever. But he’s the best they’ve got right now, and if they up the pace and Jrue gets out of his own head I think they’ll be fine even with Rondo.

[bondom34]

Utah doesnt have a prayer IMO. Didnt they get blown out every game of the Rs?

they prolly have the best defense to go up against them if Thabo was healthy. Offense would be an issue for them tho. But Houston has been playing slooooooooooow after allstar break and Cp3 doesnt look the same.

They only had Gobert 1 of the 4 pretty sure.

Oh did they? If they did you could be right about the series. I forgot he missed a bunch of games

I stand corrected, he played 3. But 2 were really early season. I still think that's better than the GSW/NOLA series.

[Dr Spaceman]

What really killed OKC seemed to be the Favors/Gobert lineup. Thunder did not have an option at the 4 to make either guy defend in space (lol Carmelo) and it killed them. Wonder if we will see a lot more minutes from Ryno in this series and if Houston will go to their usual strategy of letting Harden guard big 4s.

[dhsilv2]

I seriously love Harden guarding 4's. He's so good at it.

[GSP]

If Draymond looks like peak Draymond the rest of the series i dont think itll matter what New Orleans does

Looeny is also lowkey their secret weapons for bigs. Hes given fits to Davis, Cousins, Towns and Embiid this season. He would be HUGE in a series against Philly. Houston

[GSP]

What really killed OKC seemed to be the Favors/Gobert lineup. Thunder did not have an option at the 4 to make either guy defend in space (lol Carmelo) and it killed them. Wonder if we will see a lot more minutes from Ryno in this series and if Houston will go to their usual strategy of letting Harden guard big 4s.

Jerami/Adams did a good job against Favors/Gobert IMO

Derrick is really underappreciated tho. Hes gonna abuse Harden in the post if Houston tries that

[ronnymac2]

Whoa, I fell asleep during the game yesterday, so I just found out that Rubio is out for 10 days with a hammy. That series is over, too. Utah has no chance without Rubio. Damn, I was hoping Rubio would torch that **** petulant midget. Dante Exume has been the worst ball-handler in the NBA playoffs thus far, maybe in NBA playoff history. Damn, that really sucks for Utah.

[Dr Spaceman]

I seriously love Harden guarding 4's. He's so good at it.

The best part about it is how often it baits teams into getting out of their sets and trying to attack him in the post. It’s honestly ridiculous how often smart players will think they can go after the physically strongest guy in Houston’s starting lineup just because of his reputation.

I don’t know if you call it scheme or adjustment but this was low key one of the most brilliant defensive coaching moves made this season.

[K_chile22]

It's because that game 2 is making him look bad lol you can't pick and choose games when looking at a five game sample size

Actually when looking at such a small sample, I think paying extra attention to each individual game becomes much more crucial. It's certainly more telling than simply looking at the averages across the sample.

Yes, my bad, I should've been more clear. Was talking about this last part, specifically

That game 1 is still making Harden's averages look good, after that he's shooting 36% from the field.

Because you could also say "take out that one bad game and Harden is averaging 30+ on over 60% TS!" By the same logic. You can't take one game out and look at the rest when the sample is five games. You can look at it whole or individually. That's just cherry picking games to support what you want to say




I need to get better at quoting just the part I'm replying too

[Joey Wheeler]

This was just a matchup problem. Playoffs aren't always even about talent (though GSW wins there too).

Idk. Without Curry I don’t really see a big matchup advantage GS has. The Warriors haven’t looked great outside that 2nd quarter explosion and they’ve been atrocious here in the third.

The Pels just can’t survive Jrue having a 4/14, five foul night with Davis having a bad game as well.

It's not a 'matchup advantage', it's a talent mismatch. On one side, you have the most talented NBA team ever assembled, on the other you have Anthony Davis + role players (and that's a nice description for about half the roster, who are barely NBA level).

Pels need AD to be AD and all their role players clicking in order to have a chance to win any game vs GSW.